Vice President Kamala Harris has gone 13 days without conducting a formal press conference since being designated the presumed Democratic presidential nominee.
Harris confirmed her nomination late on July 22, announcing that she had secured the backing of a majority of the nearly 4,000 delegates heading to next month’s Democratic National Convention. Since then, she has been actively campaigning, participating in various events, and engaging in sporadic discussions with journalists, but she has not held a formal press conference or extensive interview during the past 13 days.
She also missed the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, where former President Trump garnered attention on Wednesday with a spirited Q&A session. On Thursday, she briefly addressed reporters at Joint Base Andrews while greeting Americans who were freed from Russia in a significant prisoner exchange, which included Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
“This is a remarkable testament to the necessity of having a president who recognizes the significance of diplomacy and the strength found in fostering alliances,” Harris remarked. “This is truly an incredible day.”
Harris, who emerged as the likely nominee without receiving a single primary vote following President Biden’s announcement to withdraw from the race last month, has been so difficult to locate that The New York Times featured excerpts from an interview she conducted last year to examine how her responses “land now.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris has gone 13 days without holding a press conference since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A significant segment of the Democratic Party — including governors, senators, House members, and party leaders — swiftly rallied behind Harris following Biden’s surprising announcement. However, critics have noted her avoidance of challenging questions since then.
National Review senior writer Noah Rothman queried his social media followers on Wednesday, “When will Kamala Harris hold a press conference?”
The RNC Research account on X pointed out on Wednesday that she has only delivered “teleprompter speeches,” while conservative commentator Ben Shapiro stated that Harris “has not answered ONE difficult question in the last week and a half.”
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Tim Graham, executive editor of NewsBusters, anticipates that she will adopt President Biden’s 2020 strategy, during which he was frequently criticized for avoiding the media while in his basement during the COVID pandemic.
“Kamala Harris should definitely conduct a press conference, particularly when she names her vice-presidential pick. But we can’t expect her to deviate from Biden’s pattern of shunning press conferences,” Graham remarked to Fox News Digital.
“Since the 2020 campaign, we’ve witnessed the peculiar phenomenon of Donald Trump allowing extensive media access despite being constantly criticized, while Biden and Harris avoid interviews with outlets that support them and their ‘historic accomplishments.’” He continued, “Either they believe the press can never be sufficiently servile, or they are projecting a complete lack of confidence in their ability to articulate coherent responses.”
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Critics have noted that Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t held a formal press conference since President Biden announced he would not seek re-election. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Jeffrey McCall, a media studies professor at DePauw University, believes the Harris campaign is “well aware that Biden dodged the media throughout his 2020 campaign and still won election.”
“Harris’s team is also acutely conscious that their candidate does not perform well in unscripted situations, and a press conference or genuine one-on-one interview would require her to defend some of her positions, past statements, and record. Therefore, a repeat of the Biden basement campaign may seem appealing, especially if it includes a few gatherings with Megan Thee Stallion,” McCall commented, referencing the rapper who performed at Harris’ rally in Atlanta on Tuesday.
He suggested that Harris doesn’t feel compelled “to hold a press conference merely because she has secured the nomination,” since Democrats will back her regardless.
“The supporters coalescing around her don’t expect accountability and show little interest in her policy stances. For them, the fact that she isn’t Biden or Trump is enough,” McCall noted.
“From a strategic communication perspective, however, it would benefit Harris to actually hold a press conference and engage in real journalistic interviews,” he added. “At some point, it seems she will need to appeal to moderates or undecided voters who wish to see her answer questions.”
The Harris campaign did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to commence on August 19 in Chicago.
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Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
